An Offer
by mutiler
Summary: Sakura thinks boys are stupid, silly, infuriating and everything else in between, but Kakashi reminds her that they can be sweeter than anything in the world.


**An Offer**

_A/N: _This short story is written in Sakura's point of view, but every Sakura needs a good Copy Nin around!  
It's a light fic, so not so much romance as it is light & little cute stuff.  
Or something like that, I guess...  
They're just adorable, alright.  
Just adorable.

* * *

Her exhales worked much like herself.

_Calm, steady, constant…_

_Breath in. Breathe out. Repeat the process without any thought._

But that was all so painfully exterior, an image she developed to compliment her bright eyes and gentle smile. Inside, she was a whirlwind of emotions, a mess so unpredictable and chaotic that she wasn't sure how she even lived with them for as long as she had. They worked like fire, smoldering and suffocating her so long as she dared draw breath because fire needed air to burn, and her despair could only continue so long as she walked this land of the living.

Sakura mastered the art of deception, her face the very mask of bliss in spite of growing worries.

_I wonder how Sasuke is doing…_

_He should have came back with Naruto._

_Why is he making us think about him all the time?_

_He should feel guilty._

_And ashamed._

_Dammit. __**Stupid boys**__._

"Your foot is digging at my back again," Kakashi's voice came, Sakura's little realm effectively disrupted.

"Oh! Ah, sorry, Kakashi-sensei," she apologized with a small smile, shifting herself on his back to a more comfortable position. Her hands remained clamped around her ankles, head hung low as her teacher went down for another pushup.

_That was nine hundred and ninety four by now…_

_Remember the last time they did this?_

_Yeah, Sasuke was still a proud member of Team 7…_

_Ugh, not everything has to remind you of him! Pull yourself together, Sakura!_

She let her head fall lower, back slumped forward until her pink locks messed faintly with Kakashi's silvers. She only heard the quiet rustle of grass as another gentle breeze pulled over them, felt the small tremors that shook her teacher's body as he neared his thousand. "I'm tired," she commented half heartedly, feeling somewhat silly as she had done so.

What was she thinking? Kakashi wasn't here to talk about problems, and even if he were, he didn't give out comfort so easily. It was no secret that the man was outright pathetic with human emotions—also known as unnecessary 'weights' that hindered a ninja's ability—seeing as how they were so 'trivial'. How unnerving.

"You're tired?" he asked, his pace slowing but going forward nonetheless._ That was nine hundred and ninety five, sensei_. "All you're doing is sitting. I'm not sure if you becoming a Chuunin was a good idea."

Sakura grumbled with unenthusiastic energy. "Yeah, well, being anywhere near you is tiring. That's what I meant."

"Don't be childish."

Perking, Sakura jabbed a finger into his back. "Eh? Hey, who's the one taunting me!" The small prod made his arms tremble ever so slightly, and that alone made the hints of a smile all the more genuine.

"Right, right. Sorry. Could you sit still now?"

"What did you say?"

"Could you please sit still now?" he repeated with some annoyance.

"Okay."

And the silence returned, Sakura's limited happiness dwindling down to its very last remnants by now. Again, she sunk into her habit of breathing and thinking, mouth unable to form words but head flooding dangerously with them. She inhaled and exhaled, shut her eyes, worried and fretted again and again.

_She hoped he was safe._

Not just for her—she's not that selfish—but for himself.

Because even if he didn't love her, she still cared about him. He could have thrown all the punches he possibly could, and her loyalty would remain firm and undying.

_**Stupid boys.**_

Movement stopped again, world's sways coming to a sudden halt.

Raising her head off from Kakashi's back, Sakura looked to see her teacher lying still in the bed of grass. His fingers were kissed with a shy pink—a result of his effort—his breathing fair despite the duration of the exercise. Sliding off of his back, Sakura asked, "was that a thousand?"

"I thought I told you to count with me," Kakashi answered before turning his head to face her, the question sounding far more matter-of-fact than a result of curiosity.

With some guilt, she excused herself. "Sorry… I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"No, you weren't."

"Well, it isn't like counting pushups is the most exciting thing, Kakashi sensei."

"I know. I figured you weren't exactly focused anymore once you ignored all the questions I asked you."

Sakura nearly blushed in embarrassment, her brows raised in light of her absentminded state. Was she that far in her thoughts? _Dammit. _Out of all days, he chose today to talk? _Impeccable timing as always._ "What?" she began, her back straightening all the while. "What did you ask me?"

Rolling over, the man managed to seat himself back up properly, the look on his face solid and unfeeling as he answered, "if you were feeling alright."

_Why was he so good at knowing her?_

Kakashi was awful at showing compassion to the point where it was nothing short of laughable, but he was sharper than anyone else when it came time to notice someone's mood.

Happy, sad, joyful, depressed….

He knew it all.

To make matters even funnier (and it honestly wasn't that funny to begin with), she never spoke during his exercises. From back to her innocent genin days to the tumultuous present, she would help by silently keeping track of whatever he asked for as she lied down, eyes looking at the clouds that swam through peaceful skies.

Today had been of little difference from four years ago, but even so, Kakashi still knew something was wrong. Was it because she was too still? Was she mumbling without her knowledge as she fought angrily with those consuming thoughts? Ugh, he was frustrating at times.

"I'm fine," she fibbed with a shake of her head, lips curved into a charming smile soon after. "Seriously, you worry too much."

And if it was one thing he read even better than emotions, it was a flat out lie. However, he knew when to stop himself. Sakura didn't normally zone out so severely, didn't normally trap herself in an unforgiving world full off never ending questions and undying despair. If she had done so, then it was over no light subject; something truly was eating away at her, and Kakashi had a vague idea as to what—or who, actually—the culprit was.

"You're right," he agreed without any desire to prod further. Kakashi picked himself off the ground, dusting the dirt from off his pants. "I was probably thinking too hard about it."

Sakura nearly sighed in relief, but managed to peer up at him innocently instead.

"Well, thanks for coming out here with me today, Sakura."

"Hey, I couldn't let you count all by yourself. You're getting old," she teased before following his movements, a slight pang of regret hitting her square in the chest.

Kakashi always looked out for her, even now when she was no longer his responsibility. He'd only wondered, only wanted to know if she really was as 'okay' as she claimed, but she'd sooner die than bury him deep in her problems (because he undoubtedly had a thousand others to deal with). She had pride, you know. "But you're welcome."

He would have made an exasperated comment about her joke, but if he had any intention to—and she truly did expect him to—Sakura didn't catch it. Instead, much to her surprise, Kakashi said, "I'll treat you."

"Huh?"

"Ice cream. You still like vanilla, right?"

_Oh, right._

See, Kakashi was horrible when it came to talking about emotions and feelings and worries and thoughts, but what he lacked in words, he made up for in actions; big or small, it hardly mattered.

He was silly… What could she say?

_**Stupid, stupid boys.**_

Nodding, Sakura accepted the offer, and the two made their way to the bustling markets of Konoha.

Sakura talked most of the way down.

And, as always, Kakashi was so very good at listening.


End file.
